


Skywards

by mccolfer



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: M/M, this is really short and really fluffy and really cheesy i'm so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-23
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-03-08 19:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3220313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mccolfer/pseuds/mccolfer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke really loves Calum's tattoos. Also Calum. Luke <i>really</i> loves Calum.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skywards

**Author's Note:**

> My comeback fic and it's the shortest thing in the world. Real talk, I've been writing this since November and I just finished it today. It was supposed to be longer than it is but I don't mind, it accomplishes what I wanted it to. Honestly, I've been wanting this fic written since [this interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mtzjag7hMo) came out and Luke gave me two of my favorite cake moments.
> 
> [whispers] general disclaimer i do not know any member of 5sos personally and this story is just based off of fictionalized versions of a character that i have interpreted from their public personas sorry also obviously this fic features sensationalized explanations about calum's tattoos which aren't true

"I think I'm gonna get another tattoo,"

Luke's a little embarrassed when his heartbeat immediately kicks up a notch upon hearing those words. Not wanting the other boy to notice, he attempts to subtly shift his position and move his chest from where it’s currently supporting Calum's head.

They are shoved in Luke's tiny bunk in their tiny tour bus. Well, technically the bus is pretty big and even the bunks are more spacious than other buses they've been in. But it still gets pretty cramped when you try to fit two boys over six feet tall in there.

Their legs are tangled together, Luke's awkwardly longer than the other boy's, but it works for them. He's sweating a bit where Calum's cheek has been pressed against his chest for an undetermined amount of time, but he kind of likes it. The steady weight and constant heat of Calum's head. That's one of Luke's favorite things about Calum, how _solid_ he is. He's always there, a constant presence in Luke's life. Even when they're on vacation and they’re technically supposed to be spending time apart.

This isn't an unusual position to find Luke and Calum in. Frankly, they're the cuddliest in the band. Ashton likes personal space and while Michael can give a mean snuggle, he is typically introverted and likes being alone with his video games when they have a rare slot of downtime. The remaining two just end up sort of gravitating towards one another.

Calum always somehow _knows_ when Luke's had a bad day and he'll just crawl into his bunk silently and snuggle in close to his friend. Sometimes they talk about anything and everything, but sometimes they just sit there listening to the sounds of their breathing matching up. It's nice and peaceful and it's somehow always exactly what Luke needs.

Luke was about to doze off just seconds before Calum decided to ruin the serene mood by bringing up his tattoos. Then suddenly he's more awake than he's ever been before. Luke should probably be more ashamed than he is by how emotionally attached he is to the ink marking his friend's tan skin. It's just that, Luke has been the first to know before every tattoo that Calum has ever gotten.

It's special to Luke because he knows that Michael is and always will be Calum's _best_ friend. He knows that he's known Calum for a measly four years compared to Michael's _ten_. He knows that Michael knows so many things about Calum that Luke will probably _never_ know. He knows that Michael got to experience things with Calum that Luke will _never_ get to experience. Even if it is just stupid stuff like year three drama.

But this tattoo thing, this is something special just between Luke and Calum. For once, Michael is the second to know. It means more to Luke than it probably should. Especially because he and Calum are only platonic friends.

"Oh yeah?" Luke finally replies after his heartbeat steadies, "What are you thinking of?" He tries his best to sound as nonchalant as possible.

He glances down at the boy pressed up next to him, pleased to see that all his tattoos are currently on display. His tank top is slightly off kilter, allowing Luke to see both the MMXII and the feather marking either collarbone. Calum's arm resting on Luke's chest is turned so he can only see half of the tribute to Calum's sister.

"I wanna get something here," He wiggles out his left arm that Luke been laying on for an undetermined length of time, trying his best to not jostle his cuddle partner too much. Once he has the arm out, he points to the warm skin right under the inside of his elbow. It's smooth and unmarked, practically begging to be covered with black ink.

Personally, Luke thinks that description can be used for almost every part of Calum's body.

He reaches out his hand and presses his fingers to Calum's tanned skin, "Maybe you should go for the other arm and start a sleeve."

Calum lifts up his right arm that already has a tattoo marking it, examining the same area under the inside of his elbow. "Do you really think I could rock a sleeve?"

"Yeah," Luke says with a grin as he imagines the boy covered head to toe in ink, "You'd look super punk rock," He adds, trying to make the situation seem more casual than it is.

"But clearly you're the punk rock one, Lucas," Calum teases, bringing his right hand up to brush his finger against the black ring that pierces through his bottom lip.

Luke's heart rate quickens again and he's glad Calum isn't resting as much on his chest anymore. He chuckles awkwardly, biting down on his lip as soon as Calum moves his hand away.

But soon Luke finds he misses his friend's seemingly endless amount of warmth, so he grabs Calum's right arm and pulls him until the other boy's front is pressed flush against his side. Calum doesn't put up much of a fight, settling his hips so they're slightly cradling Luke's thigh. It takes a lot for Luke to not think about his best friend's dick and how it's just inches away from his.

"What do you want it to be?" Luke asks, changing the subject before the slight stirring in his pants gets the better of him. He keeps a firm grip on Calum's right arm, turning it to display the area in question.

"I was thinking, like, a word..." Calum bites down into his plump lower lip, looking like he wants to pull his arm away from Luke's touch. "It's kinda dumb,"

"Hey," Luke's already soft voice drops down to a whisper, to make sure that his next words are for Calum only. He looks down, trying to meet the dark eyes of his friend. "your tattoo ideas are never dumb. They mean a lot to you for a reason, you don't have to worry about what anyone else thinks of them. They're for you."

It's dark in the bunk, but Luke can see the small smile that forms on Calum's face at his words. It means a lot to him, getting Calum to make that smile. It's not quite the full teeth, crinkly eyed smile, but it means something in this moment. It makes Luke beam back at the dark haired boy.

"I want it to say ‘ _skywards_ ’. Like, you know, we can either go up or down from where we are right now, but I'm definitely aiming for up."

The summary is less than poetic, but it makes Luke's heart clench. He loves it the most when Calum's tattoo ideas have meanings that relate to the band. He knows that his ideas are usually family oriented, so it's like the band really is his family. Luke loves feeling so close to the boy, emotionally _and_ physically.

Though Calum thinking of him as a brother is not _exactly_ what he wants. It's kind of entirely counterproductive towards Luke's goals. But it's better than nothing. And with Calum, he doesn't know if he can deal with nothing.

He realizes that Calum is anxiously waiting for his response. It means _so much_ to Luke that his opinion means anything at all to Calum.

"I really like that," Luke replies with a sincere smile. Calum's white teeth almost shine through the darkness as he grins back, his eyes crinkling. Luke’s heart soars. "do you have any idea about, like, what font?"

Calum starts prattling on about the design aspects and Luke finds himself zoning out a bit. He's got two gentle fingers pressed to the skin below the inside of Calum's elbow. Luke absentmindedly strokes the area while Calum talks.

Luke can't wait until the tanned skin is inked. He can't wait until Calum is covered with tattoos that all mean something special to him. He can't wait until he means something special enough to Calum to deserve his _own_ permanent spot on Calum's body. If that _ever_ happens.

Calum gets the tattoo a month later and Luke loves it even more than he does the other three. He even loves when Calum lets him rub the sensitive area with the ointment the tattoo artist told Calum to use.

It's always so intimate, Calum crawling into Luke's bunk, careful not to hit his arm on anything. He whined about having to apply the ointment so often for a while, which had prompted Luke to offer to do it. Now he just hands Luke the small jar and rests his head on Luke's broad chest.

He hums softly as Luke massages the small patch of skin, "I think the tattoo is almost healed and you can finally stop doing this soon."

"Oh," Luke replies, trying not to sound disappointed. He's been getting excited to rub ointment on his friend's arm every night. Best to not let said friend know just how pathetic he was.

Luke knows it's a problem, his crush on Calum. He has recently learned to admit that it is, in fact, a crush. Calum thinks of him as family and Luke desperately wants to kiss his constantly chapped lips. Calum thinks they're bros and Luke spends all day thinking about the five minutes every night where he gets to rub ointment into the skin below the inside of Calum's elbow.

Luke is weak and gross and he knows it. But he does nothing to change it, so things remain the same.

A month passes, Calum gets a new tattoo. A tribal chief in a headdress that the band has dubbed teasingly as, “chieffy”. Luke watches Michael giggle as he pokes at Calum’s still red skin and makes the face “talk”.

He wonders if Michael knows why Calum got the tattoo. He wonders if Calum took the time to tell his best friend about how his family was part of a tribe and he wants to feel more connected with them. He wonders if Calum told Michael how despite having never met them, he knows that his ancestors have shaped who he is today. Luke wonders if this whole tattoo thing is a special thing between him and Calum, or if he’s just making this all up in his head.

Probably the latter.

But then later Calum crawls into Luke’s bunk and snuggles his head into Luke’s pale neck. It’s really no wonder why Luke has made this all up in his head.

“Lukey?” Calum asks after a little while, his voice tired and squeaky.

Luke’s breath hitches as he feels Calum’s hot breath against his neck, “Yeah?”

“Can you…?” He pulls out a small jar of the post-tattoo ointment, looking up at Luke shyly, “You do it better than I do…”

“How can I do it better? I’m just rubbing shit on your skin,” Luke says, but still takes the jar and unscrews the lid. He tries his best to hide how excited he is.

Calum shrugs sleepily in response, “The last one healed so much quicker than the other ones.”

Pale fingers gently press the cool ointment against irritated tan skin. Luke blushes embarrassingly red when Calum lets out a rather explicit moan.

“That feels _awesome_ ,” He mumbles, burrowing his head back into the crook of Luke’s neck, “you’ve got _magic_ fingers, Lukey.”

Luke shifts his hips as far away from Calum as possible without it looking weird. He doesn't need the other boy to see just how much Luke doesn't mind doing this for him. They fall into a comfortable silence, Calum breathing lightly against his neck as Luke's pale fingers massage the inked area.

"People are really mad about this tattoo..." Calum mumbles, sounding sad. Luke doesn't like that sad tone at all.

"What?" Luke whispers incredulously, "Who?"

"Like...people online," Calum says, his voice getting quieter and quieter, "I don't know..."

"Why do you read that stuff?" Luke frowns, "You should know better by now, dude. All they have to say is negative shit."

"I know, I know..." Calum says, his voice still sad, "It's just, they usually like when I get tattoos. And I kind of...like the ego boost, you know? But this time...they were just all mad? I don't even get why..."

"What are they saying?"

"That it's offensive for some reason? I think they think that I just got it because it's cool and that's it,"

"That's dumb." Luke insists. He realizes that his touch has gotten heavier and he's harshly rubbing at Calum's sensitive tattoo, so he lightens up, trying to stay calm. "You obviously don't just get tattoos for no reason. All of them mean something to you."

"Well, I know that and you know that, but they don't know." Calum finally speaks up, moving his head. The blond immediately misses the feeling of Calum's warm lips pressing against crook of his neck. "I just, I shouldn't have to defend myself. Like I shouldn't have to justify my tattoo, right?"

"You got it for a reason, Cal. You don't owe anybody any explanation if you don't want to give one."

"Yeah," He sighs, resting for a moment before turning back into Luke's neck, "it's just kind of frustrating to be accused of something I know isn't true. But I guess that's what I signed up for with this whole fame thing."

He sounds so defeated and Luke wants to do anything and everything in order to get him to stop sounding like that. He can't believe the people who claim to love them the most are the ones who make them feel the worse.

But all Luke can do right now is keep rubbing the ointment into Calum's skin.

Calum's tattoo does seem to heal significantly faster once he goes back to Luke. It makes Luke happy to know that there's something only he can do for Calum. Because he knows that if Calum asked Michael to rub ointment on him the green haired boy would throw the small tub at Calum's head and tell him to fuck off. Luke _can_ be more important to Calum than Michael, it's possible. It gives Luke a bit of a tangible endgame to look forward to.

They're sitting in yet another room, trying to bullshit their way through yet another interview without actually answering any questions seriously. Just another day in what Luke's life is now.

The couch they provided for them is small and Michael stole the seat next to Calum before Luke could take it. The blond tries to not be jealous, because Michael just wanted to sit on the couch, he doesn't actually care about sitting next to Calum. Then before Luke knows it, Ashton's taken a seat on the arm of the couch, leaving Luke to sit in the desk chair next to the couch. They all poke fun at him for a bit, but Luke doesn't care _what_ he's sitting on. He cares that he's not next to Calum.

Which is pretty lame.

He should work on having some self respect.

The interview starts and Luke does his best to participate and laugh and try to be a little serious among his dumb bandmates. Because _someone_ has to and Ashton needs a break sometimes.

He ignores Calum and Michael's flirting, because it doesn't mean anything. Calum flirts with everyone, that's the way he is.

But if Calum flirts with everyone, does Luke even mean anything to him? Or is he just another person to jokingly hit on?

Luke finds himself a little distracted until the sound of the word "tattoo" knocks some sense into him. Calum starts spouting some nonsense about each tattoo because he really doesn't like getting sentimental unless it's around someone he trusts. Luke feels his face flush and he looks around nervously, glad to see the camera is turned towards Calum and is zooming in on his arm.

"This one says "skywards"...yeah, I'll probably get that covered up soon."

"Nooo," Luke says before he can stop himself. He quickly tries to explain himself, blushing dark red, "I really like that one."

Calum ignores him and it just makes Luke feel even worse about it. That tattoo means everything to Luke and it means nothing to Calum. He wants to get rid of it. Luke can't believe that Calum would want to cover _any_ of his tattoos. They were all special to him at some point, isn't that reason enough to keep them?

Then the question "if you were invisible for a day what would you do?" comes up and Luke's mouth gets ahead of his brain.

"I'd see what Calum does all day," He tacks on a laugh at the end after a moment, because it's obviously a joke. They all start talking over each other about how Luke sees Calum all day every day and Luke does his best to laugh his way out of the situation. He's fucking up _so_ hard.

Finally, the interview comes to an end after a couple more questions and Luke is the first to hop out of his seat and ask to go back to the bus. Luckily, it's their last thing to do that day and Luke can just go hide and wallow in his own embarrassment.

He's only just began his wallowing when the darkness of his bunk is interrupted by the curtain being opened. Luke groans, turning away from whoever wants him.

"Hey man," It's Ashton and he's using his concerned father voice. "we're all going out for drinks. You wanna come?"

"No," Luke whines, burying his head into his pillow.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

There's a moment of silence but Luke knows that Ashton is still there. He can feel his pitying presence.

"Well, if you say so..."

Then the blissful sound of the curtains being shut and Ashton's feet stepping away. Luke just stayed buried in his pillow, replaying all the stupid shit he's ever done in his entire life.

He doesn't get very far, because he soon hears his curtains open again and he feels his bed dip as someone gets inside.

Luke knows it's Calum without even lifting his head. He knows the smell of Calum's cologne mixed with the sweat after a day of press. He knows how Calum's compact body feels pressing against Luke's wider and less toned one. He knows the tickle of Calum's fluffy hair pressing into his nose as the other boy lays his head on Luke's chest.

"You okay, Lukey?"

Luke should turn Calum away just like he did Ashton, but he can't. Because Ashton isn't Calum and Luke doesn't love Ashton the way  he loves Calum. Luke can never turn Calum away.

"I don't know,"

They sit in silence for a while. Luke doesn't know how long but Calum starts snoring softly against his chest so he guesses it's pretty long.

"Calum?" Luke says quietly into the still air. He doesn't really expect a response.

But Calum groans a little and opens his eyes slightly, "...yeah?"

"Are you really gonna cover up that tattoo?"

It takes a second for Calum to answer, "I don't know, I was just thinking about it,"

"Why?"

"It's kind of dumb, also it's a little hard to read, so the little meaning it has is kind of lost,"

Luke frowns intensely, "Why does it have such little meaning to you?" Why doesn't it mean as much to him as it does to Luke?

"I don't know, Luke." Calum brings a hand up to scrub at his face for a moment, "It's just, why does it even mean so much to _you_?"

Luke goes silent and the whole bunk is filled with it. Calum can feel that he's holding his breath, so he taps lightly on Luke's chest until he lets it out in a long sigh.

"I, um," Luke coughs awkwardly, "This is going to sound weird...but, I don't know, it means a lot to me when you come to me about your tattoo plans and not Michael or Ashton. I guess I sort of take pride in them or something, I don't know. It's weird, I'm sorry,"

Calum's head lifts slowly off his chest and Luke is so sure that he's going to bolt out of the room and out of Luke's pathetic life. But instead, Calum leans in and presses a light kiss to Luke's jaw.

"It's not weird, Lukey," He insists, pressing another kiss to Luke's cheekbone, "I think it's cute that you love my tattoos so much. I mean, three of them relate to you anyway."

"What?" Luke feels his stomach drop.

Calum chuckles, "Yeah, I mean, MMXII is the year we got our big break. Michael and I wouldn't have gotten anywhere in the world if we hadn't met you. And the skywards one is about the success of the band, which again, wouldn't happen without you,"

Luke smiles, he's never thought of it that way. Calum's band related tattoos are related to him. He's been a permanent mark on Calum's skin since the first tattoo he got.

"Wait, what's the third?"

Calum hesitates again, as if he's contemplating telling Luke. Then he sighs and gives in, "The feather."

"I always assumed that had something to do with Mali's bird,"

"No," Calum chin is digging into Luke's chest from where his head is resting, looking up at the blond. Luke can just barely make out Calum's features in the darkness, "feathers represent feeling light and weightless and hopeful..." He takes a deep breath, "...and that's how you make me feel."

Luke feels his toes go numb, "What?"

"You're always here to keep me from freaking out and you make me feel like...like together we can accomplish anything,"

"Oh," Luke says dumbly in response. He can feel his heart beating and he knows that Calum obviously can too. "I, um, what...what do you mean, exactly?"

Calum can't help but grin fondly at the boy in front of him. He sits up and swings one leg over on the other side of Luke's body. He kneels over the blond, holding himself up with his hands on either side of Luke's shoulders. Very slowly, he leans down, giving Luke time to get out of the position if he wants to.

But Luke would _never_. He never wants to exist without Calum straddling him and Calum's hot breath on his own slightly parted lips and Calum's sweaty boy smell invading his senses and making him dizzy.

Luke sits there and waits for Calum's chapped lips to press gently against his. Then he can't wait anymore, and he surges forward to return the kiss. His lip ring is uncomfortably placed between them, but he can't seem to find a reason care. He moves his lips hard against Calum's, trying to commit them to memory because who knows how long he'll get to keep them.

It's a familiar feeling for Luke, making out with someone. He kind of feels like he's done it too many times over the past year, but it's never felt as good as this. As _right_ as this. Luke has lowkey wanted to make out with Calum since year ten and he feels like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

Calum starts to smile into the the kiss and Luke can’t help but smile back. They mutually pull apart from each other and Luke can barely think of anything to say with his hazy mind.

“You’re cute and you’re very important to me,” Calum says quietly, pressing a light kiss to the upturned tip of Luke’s nose, “that’s what I was trying to say.”

“Oh,” Luke says again, but it’s so much happier than before. He can’t stop smiling and it’s even starting to hurt his cheeks.

“Yeah, _oh_ ,” Calum agrees with a chuckle before leaning back in to capture Luke’s lips once more.

Months pass and Calum never covers up his tattoo. Instead, he gets a horseshoe just under it, framing it.

"Because I'm so lucky to have you," He explains jokingly. 

Luke smiles because maybe it's a joke, but he finally feels like he has that permanent mark on Calum that he's wanted for so long. It makes him feel _good_. He thinks maybe he'll repay the favor eventually.

**Author's Note:**

> Now's the part where I advertise myself. Follow me on [tumblr](http://derekhalesmom.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/mccolfer) or both. Also while you're on my tumblr, [reblog this fic](http://derekhalesmom.tumblr.com/post/108946326832/skywards)!


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